With a short day ahead I wasn’t in a
rush striking camp. I had an extra cup of coffee before packing
my tent away and thankfully it was mostly dry. I wheeled my bike
across the wet grass into the path then cycled to the Heriot
Road and left to the pedestrian underpass to cross the Borders
Railway which was re-opened in 2015 from the former Waverley
line closed in 1969.
I tried to ride down and up the
incline under the line but the surface was wet and slippers and
not well designed. I reached the dreaded A7 which was very busy.
PBorders Railway
With rear flashing red lights on I had no choice but to
ride as fast as I could for a couple of miles to the B6367 right
turn off. I rode along Borthwick Castle Road and saw a sign for
the castle but didn’t go for a look. A steep descent took
me down to the bridge over Gore Water then a steep climb up to
the bridge over the railway. I stopped for a look at the very
new looking tracks then continued up the steep climb and over
the hill to pass the outskirts of Gorebridge. I descended to the
lady Victoria Colliery Mining Museum. I cycled into the yard but
it wasn’t open yet. I spoke to a lady there who was one of the
staff.
Mining Museum
I followed the busy ‘A’ roads to Gilmerton where I stopped at a
shop to buy some biscuits then on to Newington where I stopped
at the Tesco Express to buy some small currant buns. I reached
the Dynamic Earth structure but didn’t go in. Up Reid’s Close I
had a view of the awful architecture of the rear of the Holyrood
Scottish parliament Buildings.
It was raining as I rode up Canongate and the Royal Mile to St
Giles’ Cathedral where I stopped in the car park by parking spot
23 which marks the approximate location of the grave of John
Knox (1513-1572), the Scottish Divine.
Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station
I cycled to Waverley Railway Station in the rain and waited
inside for my train at 14:18. Later in the journey the train
became very full due to a failure of a Virgin train. At Preston
it was difficult getting my bike off due to piles of suitcases.
